The Man Inside
by MissandMarauder
Summary: What if Fang was actually Padfoot? AU where Sirius didn't get caught after being betrayed by Pettigrew. He knew the ministry was looking for him and couldn't go to Harry like he wanted, so he decided to stay in a place where he would be taken care of, hidden, and eventually be able to watch over Harry-Hagrid's hut.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Early November, 1981

Padfoot ran. He ran until his muscles screamed and his bones groaned and every breath felt like death. Tears streamed down his mangy, black face, mingling with the rain and mud as he loped onward. Taking the form of Padfoot gave him the instincts and endurance of his canine alter-ego, but it didn't do a thing to stop the pain of the past few days.

James. Lily. Harry.

 _Peter Pettigrew_.

His hackles rose as he growled under his breath. He would have killed the man himself if Pettigrew hadn't decided to save him the effort by well and truly blasting himself off the face of the earth, all to avoid suffering the consequences of his actions. The pain in his chest was suddenly too much, and Padfoot tumbled to a stop, curling up on himself under the cover of an ancient tree. Every part of his body yelled at him to cool down before he stopped to rest, but the exhaustion won out, and he collapsed with his head resting on one paw. He brought his other paw up to block out what little light struggled through the clouds and trees overhead. _My fault_ , he thought to himself. _This is all_ my _fault._

He had been too cocky. Too sure that everyone would assume he, the lone, disgraced lion of the House of Black, was the secret keeper for the Potters. He feared his popularity and infamy would put them all in danger, so he opted to place the incredible responsibility on someone else. Someone less _messed up._ Less likely to get pissed and do something stupid. He would laugh at his hubris if the results of his actions didn't hurt so damn much; the image of James and Lily's dead bodies strewn across the floor of their own home was seared into his memory with a hot poker.

 _He had crumpled to the floor then, much as he was now, although in his human form, clinging to Harry and sobbing along with the distraught infant. Hagrid had been there to whisk Sirius' godson away to safety, so he handed the half-giant the keys to his flying motorcycle, giving his godson a final kiss to his mop of black hair. He would go to collect him from those_ awful _muggles soon, but he had other things to take care of first. He Apparated away with a_ crack _!_

 _It hadn't taken him long to find Pettigrew. They had been friends since their first days at Hogwarts, and Sirius knew his usual haunts. Peter had been stupidly shocked to see Sirius' stormy face coming towards him in the muggle pub they had visited together a few days before. Sirius' hair fairly crackled with magic as he leaned close to Peter, jabbing his wand into Pettigrew's side as he growled, "Alleyway._ Now _," before shoving his wand back up his sleeve and pulling away enough to let Peter lead the way outside. The barkeep eyed them warily as they made their way out, and he decided to call the authorities, just in case._

 _Their conversation had been short. Peter, ever the little rat, had tried to justify his actions to his old friend. "You don't understand, Sirius! The Dark Lord...He has ways of making you do things. Things you'd never want to do otherwise. It was me or them!"_

 _That had earned him a wand to the neck as Sirius hissed, "Then you should have_ died _, Peter! They were your friends! Parents! Their son will never know them, now. You selfish_ bastard _!" He scraped his free hand over his haggard face and continued, "You think your bloody Death Eater friends give a shite about you? No. They'll be all too happy to have one of the little pawns taken away by the Ministry and thrown into Azkaban for the rest of his sorry life, leaving them free to destroy even more families in the name of insanity."_

 _Pettigrew's face screwed up in a mix of fear and rage as Sirius spoke; Peter's next few words finally made Sirius realize he'd gone too far. "I'm not going to Azkaban. You are." Making sure to draw the attention of the muggles on the sidewalk of the street nearby, he shouted, "You killed them, Sirius Black! How could you betray our friends? And now you've come to turn on me?" With a flick of his wrist, giving Sirius just enough warning to throw up a quick, wandless Protego, Pettigrew had grabbed Sirius' wand, and with a flash of blinding light, Pettigrew was gone, the alleyway where he had been standing blown to bits._

 _Despite his shield, Sirius was flung back against the building behind him, and it took him a moment to regain his balance and stagger to his feet, eyes screwed shut as the world spun around him. When his ears stopped ringing, he heard screams coming from the street. He pried his eyes open and saw bodies strewn around the edge of the blast that had apparently incinerated Pettigrew._

He framed me, _Sirius realized with a jolt. And then he ran._

When Padfoot's breathing finally slowed to an idle pant, he forced himself to get up. He mindlessly wandered his way through the Forbidden Forest, glad to be near his destination after so long on the run. Hogwarts had been something of a haven for him as a youth, and he hoped it could be one again.

Eventually, the trees thinned, and the yellow glow of the windows of Hagrid's hut and Hogwarts castle came into view. Padfoot sagged with relief but trudged forward; he couldn't rest when safety was just a few steps away.

The Groundskeeper's hut loomed above the great, black dog when his legs finally gave out from under him, and he flopped onto the worn wood of the front porch and fall asleep.

Padfoot wasn't sure how much time had passed since he arrived on Hogwarts grounds, but the sun was just starting to rise over the castle when he awoke. The clouds had cleared somewhat during the night, leaving just enough to paint a pretty picture of pinks and oranges with the light of dawn. Padfoot allowed himself to be at peace for the first time in days, only to be rudely interrupted by the rather loud grumbling of his stomach. He huffed a humorless, canine laugh and turned to scratch the door behind him, whining with his best impression of "starving dog." He didn't have to try very hard to pretend. How long had it been since he'd eaten? No matter. The door swung open, and Hagrid blearily looked down at the bear of a dog and said, "Hello, there! Yeh look right starved, now, don' yeh? Come on, now." He turned, bumbling back into his one-room home, rummaging through kitchen cupboards while Padfoot sat near the hearth, enjoying the warmth, and waited. Hagrid turned to him with a large bowl of water and a huge steak.

 _Never one to let a beast go hungry, were you, Hagrid?_ Sirius thought before allowing Padfoot's instincts to take over again, lapping zealously at the water before turning on the steak. He plopped down onto Hagrid's wooden floor, feeling safe for the first time since everything had gone to hell.

"What'll I call yeh, yeh big brute?" Padfoot ignored the half-giant, too hungry to stop gnawing away at the steak. He didn't much care what Hagrid decided to call him, as long as he allowed him to stay. "Those're some migh'y fine teeth yeh have, there. How 'bout Fang?"

Padfoot gave a quick bark of consent before taking another enormous bite. Hagrid simply laughed, leaned down to scratch the dog's ears, and went about getting breakfast for himself. When he was finished, he donned his Groundskeeper's garb and pulled the front door open. "Care ter join me, Fang?" Padfoot dropped the steak bone he'd been working on and loped out the door into the sunlight, feeling content for the first time in days.

* * *

A/N: BIG thanks to my two betas who are helping me hack through the jungle of ideas I have for this fic, MammaWeasley27 and Angela. Hopefully we can turn all these ideas into something beautiful together. You both are amazing!

This is my first attempt at fanfiction, so I would love any feedback you have for me if you'd like to leave a review. Thanks for reading! Hopefully I'll have another chapter for you soon.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Fall 1981-Summer 1991

While the rest of the wizarding world was recovering from war, Sirius tried to do the same. There were worse fates than ending up stuck in your canine alter-ego for days, weeks, months on end.

He really wished that he could have gone back for his wand, but it hadn't been worth the risk of being captured by Aurors and most likely convicted for crimes he didn't commit. He was stupid and arrogant, sure, but he was no murderer.

Despite his innocence, the guilt he felt was overwhelming. At times the feeling was so powerful that all Padfoot could do was hold completely still on his bed and let it wash over him, hoping he wouldn't drown in the waves of regret. He felt guilty about many things, but mostly about Harry. Sirius loved that tiny, raven-haired boy more than life itself. He'd never really planned on having children of his own, not after the horrific childhood he'd endured, but the day James had asked Sirius to be their unborn child's godfather had been the best day of Sirius' life.

Now Sirius' worst fears were coming true before his very eyes, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. It seemed Harry would be forced to grow up much as his godfather had, friendless, alone, and utterly unwanted. The Dursleys had openly expressed their hate and disgust towards all members of the wizarding community, but they had looked absolutely mutinous at the party the newlywed Potters had thrown to announce the impending arrival of their own magical bundle of joy. Harry deserved to be raised in a place of love, joy, and magic. He would have none of that, and it broke Sirius to think of it.

Sirius had planned on going to Harry within a fortnight and whisking him away, deep into hiding. He had enough galleons stashed away in various hiding places to easily fund an escape from wizarding Britain and the possibility of being thrown in Azkaban. Hell, even if he'd had to get a job to keep Harry safe and away from those despicable excuses for human beings, he'd have happily done it! And he hadn't worked a day in his life.

All those plans went to shit, however, when Professor Dumbledore came to visit Hagrid a few days after Padfoot arrived at Hogwarts. Padfoot - er, Fang, now - rested on the rug near the fire while Hagrid went to get the door.

"Evenin', Professor Dumbledore! What can I do fer yeh, sir?"

"Something to drink wouldn't go amiss. Thank you, Hagrid. I came here to talk a little more about young Harry Potter."

Hagrid bumbled about, fixing up drinks, and piling a few cakes that looked more like small boulders onto a tray. Dumbledore politely declined a cake before sipping his tea and leaning back in his oversized chair.

When he looked too lost in thought to resume the conversation on his own, Hagrid prompted, "Is the boy alrigh', sir?"

Dumbledore's gaze flicked from the roaring fire to Hagrid's beetle-black eyes. "The boy is fine. For now. The blood wards should keep him safe, so long as he stays with Lily's Muggle family. I fear Voldemort's followers or even Harry's own godfather, Sirius Black, may seek him out to finish the job. That family will give him the protection he needs from anyone who means him harm."

The part of Fang's brain that was Sirius choked on that thought and the realization that even these people, who had once fought by his side and trusted him with the lives of the Potters, believed the worst of him. The words they might now be labeling him with flicked through his mind rapidly - _liar, traitor, murderer._ It was enough to make him sick to his stomach. He whinged and shuffled over to scratch at the wooden front door, begging quietly to be let out. Hagrid quickly responded to his pleas, and Fang leaped down the steps and made his way out into the cleansing night air.

The dark, rustling silence of the Forbidden Forest called to him, yet again. This place was almost more of a home to him, now, than anywhere else. The trees and other plants passed their judgment of his character silently, which he much preferred to the scene he'd just endured in Hagrid's hut. And when he stumbled across one of the many creatures who made their home in the woods, they either wanted to run away, be friends, or fight. Not cast aspersions about his supposed wrongdoings.

It cut him to the core to hear Dumbledore say such things about him. The man had been his headmaster for all seven of his years at school, quietly making sure he was alright when his family became violent or neglectful, wholeheartedly supporting Sirius' decision to move in with the Potters when he was disowned. He'd always seemed to want the best for Sirius - and think the best of him despite his considerable flaws. How could be possibly believe Sirius was capable of such horrific deeds now?

It did no good to think about it. One day, his name would be cleared. Hopefully.

In the meantime, he would make himself useful. He hunted with Hagrid, befriended creatures in the Forbidden Forest, and made the occasional, lonely visit to the Shrieking Shack. That was the only place he allowed himself to transform back into his human form and walk around on two legs for a change.

The memories that pummeled his senses in the ramshackle building were always painful. He remembered so many happy nights here with Remus, James, and Peter. Now that happiness was tainted with the overwhelming grief that came with James' death and the blinding rage that came with Peter's betrayal of them all. Sirius hoped Remus at least believed he was innocent. Because it was starting to look like he might be the only one.

Hagrid took care of him, as Fang, and he didn't want for any physical comforts. Well, his human form still craved a good smoke and a glass - or bottle - of firewhiskey, but that was beside the point.

The point was that he needed to keep Harry safe. There was still a lot of evil left in the world, no matter what supposedly happened to Voldemort after his killing curse bounced off Harry and turned on the Dark wizard. It seemed he would be safe at his new home in the Muggle world, because the people taking care of him - if it could ever be called that - were blood relatives. This allowed Professor Dumbledore to establish strong blood wards to protect Harry. It was an additional level of security that he was hidden away in the Muggle realm of England that was almost as repulsive to Voldemort and his followers as the idea of winding up in Azkaban was to Sirius.

So the years crept on. The days ran together and seasons rolled by without much notice from the great, black dog and the man inside his head. He tried to stay somewhat aware of the date and the goings-on of the outside world by reading whatever newspapers Hagrid left lying around. Occasionally the half-giant would mumble to himself or Fang and let some interesting bit of information slip, when he wasn't going on about the latest creature he'd come across or game he'd won at the pub. Time did not move quickly for the Animagus, but his was not a horrible existence.

And before too long, Fang finally nosed open a newspaper to see the words he'd so long yearned to read.

 **Hogwarts Welcomes Harry Potter**

The title of the article was paired with a photograph of Harry and Hagrid somewhere in Diagon Alley. They both looked happy, and Fang couldn't hold back a happy tail wag and canine smile. He was a little surprised Hagrid hadn't come home to talk Fang's ear off about the outing, but perhaps he'd been worn out from all the shopping of the day before.

No matter. Harry was coming to Hogwarts! Fang looked at the image of Harry in the newspaper and couldn't help but think that he was the spitting image of his father, James. That shock of crazy black hair had only gotten more out of control in the years since Sirius had last seen him, and the sight brought to life a little spark of hope and joy that hadn't had a place in Sirius' heart in quite some time.

His godson was coming to Hogwarts, to Sirius' home. He would finally be able to see the boy who was the closest thing he had to a son.

He could hardly wait.

* * *

A/N: Quick note on what you can expect from this fic. As of now, we'll be speeding through books one through six pretty quickly. (We will definitely have lots of our favorite werewolf and other important happenings...don't worry! I've already had a guest reviewer concerned about that. It's coming, and I already have parts of Harry's third year written.) The real storyline takes place parallel to the events in book seven and afterwards (though this story is obviously far from cannon compliant, the major events and timeline of the war will be similar). Sirius does have some romance headed his way, but it happens as things are picking up later in the story. Those chapters are coming to me as fast as I can write them, so I hope I can get these next few chapters finished up so we can get to the good stuff. ;)

If you have anything in particular that you would like to see happen for Fang/Padfoot during Harry's years at school, throw those ideas my way! Reviews and PMs are the best inspiration to keep writing, even if they're a quick, "I liked this chapter!" or whatever.

All that being said, the holidays are always crazy around here, and we will have a newborn in our house sometime around the New Year. Be patient with me, and I'll try to get updates out as quickly as possible! Thanks!

-MM


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